Heart to Heart

JMJDFC

Program 6

Welcome to our broadcast of Heart to Heart. God is so good to allow us to share with you this day. With us once again is Father Michael Novacki, OP. Since today's show was taped in advance, we will not be available to answer calls during this program. Next week, we'll be back with you live, in the studio. You may write to us at: Heart to Heart, P. O. Box 11431, Philadelphia, PA 19111.

Father, will you please read a passage for us from the Gospel according to St. Luke [Lk. 12,15-21]:

"Jesus said to the crowd, 'Avoid greed in all its forms. A man may be wealthy, but his possessions do not guarantee him life.' He told them a parable in these words: 'There was a rich man who had a good harvest. 'What shall I do?' he asked himself, 'I have no place to store my harvest. I know!' he said, 'I will pull down my grain bins and build larger ones. All my grain and my goods will go there. Then I will say to myself: You have blessings in reserve for many years to come. Relax! Eat heartily, drink well. Enjoy yourself.' But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life shall be required of you. To whom will all this piled-up wealth of yours go?' That is the way it works with the man who grows rich for himself instead of growing rich in the sight of God."

Thank you Father, this scripture truly speaks to our heart on this Thanksgiving Day. There are many talents that our dear Lord has given us for the benefit of our brothers and sisters. At times we may not perceive the gifts, but in time our Lord will reveal them to us. Either we will be shown by the fruits of our labor or someone will tell us what they see within us. We should not keep the gifts our good God gives us to ourselves, we must share them with others. If we think only of ourselves, we miss the message completely. It is not in hoarding the gifts that bring about our salvation. It is the sharing.

When we give thanks to our Heavenly Father today, let us begin by thanking Him for the gift of life. A gift that is so precious. Many of you have heard about the two college students, from DE, who killed their son just after his birth. Everyone is calling this a tragedy, even pro-abortion people. (We should thank them for not calling this an "after birth abortion.") We should however, challenge them to explain their position to us from this point of view: Why would it have been okay for this couple to have an abortion as he was being born [partial birth abortion], yet it's wrong to kill the baby just after he is born? This baby boy is the same: same physical traits; hair and eye color. He still would look like his mom, or maybe his dad. He is capable of feeling pain. His emotions and his loves are all the same whether he was killed before birth or after birth or allowed to live.

From the very moment this baby boy was conceived in his mother's womb, by the power of God, he is the same. His hair and eye color, as I have already said, and his other traits were locked in place the moment the sperm and the egg joined. Before the cell split into two, his blood type was determined. At what point does it become permissible to stop this life from continuing? Is it the fact that after birth the baby has filled his lungs with air? What difference does it really make? His features won't change, his laugh won't change, his hug won't change, his smile won't change. These things are all going to be the same. Let's not forget that little girls are being killed through abortion too! This time the murdered one just happened to be a boy. Murder is still murder no matter the age or the circumstances. God has given us the gift of life and only He should decide to recall the spirit that inhabits this shell of flesh. Do you ever wonder what would have happened if Jonas Salk, or Albert Einstein, or Thomas Edison had been aborted?

It is interesting that the explanation for Brian waiting to turn himself in to the authorities was his mother. Brian's mother expressed the fear that the law was going to take her only son away from her. In the expression of her concern, our thoughts should turn to our blessed Mother, and the loss of her only Son. Jesus gave up His life to save us. In this tragic case the reverse is true, but we are taught that we must hate the sin and love the sinner. Please, keep all these unfortunate individuals in your prayers.

St. Dominic once again, is a person who is an example of the way; in love and forgiveness of others. It is said that when he felt forced to correct one of the brethren, and administer a penance, he would come and perform the penance alongside the penitent. While the fault of the person, upset Dominic greatly, the fact that penance was applied at his hand, caused him additional concern. In his love and devotion for his friends, he wanted them to know, they were not alone.

If anyone is interested in following in the footsteps of Dominic, let us know and we'll share the information with you.

In addition to the gift of life, there are many other things for which we should be grateful to God. We should remember to thank God for all the little things in life. Even a cool drink of water should bring thoughts of gratitude. Believe it or not, we should thank Jesus for the things we don't like in this life. Our aches and pains, physical or emotional should bring us joy because we can offer them to the Father in union with the sufferings of His Divine Son. The more pain and suffering we have, the more we share in the likeness of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

We should express thanks for our family. They may be source of unhappiness at times, but they are also one of our greatest treasures. Our Spiritual Directors and our friends should all be cause for gratitude.

For me, this opportunity to be with you each week is also a reason to give thanks to our loving Father. The calls you have made, to share your insights and make prayer requests, bring joy to my heart.

My dear brothers and sisters, I have some wonderful news. Starting next week, "Heart to Heart," will be on the air for one-half hour each week. This is made possible because of generous donations by a few of our listeners. We need you: you also can aid us by sending in a donation. Remember, listen for our program at 2:15pm each Thursday starting next week.

We are planning the reception of the members of St. Martin de Porres Young Dominican's Chapter into the Dominican Family. This special event will include Mass, the ceremony of reception for about sixteen youngsters, ages nine to seventeen: and a banquet for them and you. This banquet will be a fund raiser to provide bibles for the teens, and continued air time for the "Heart to Heart" Radio Ministry. Live music will be provided at the banquet by, "Turning Point." Your presence at this banquet would mean a lot to Father Novacki and myself.

Joining Father Michael Novacki, OP, and us for this special occasion, will be Father Joseph Allen, OP, the Provincial Promoter for St. Joseph Province. Also, Joe Veltri from "My Jesus Mercy Ministries," a Dominican, will be on hand to greet you.

Our banquet will be held at Holy Name of Jesus Church, in Philadelphia, on January 26, 1997, at 1:00pm. The cost for this banquet will be $20.00. If you can join us for this very special occasion: Mass, reception, and dinner, write to us. If you need a ride, we may be able to arrange one for you. We ask that you make your reservations as soon as possible to allow us to figure the seating arrangements.

Just a reminder about the fund raising effort that we shared with you last week. We have a beautiful picture of the Blessed Mother and Pope John Paul II in a loving embrace. This picture is beautifully framed and sells for $45.00 at the St. Jude Shop. Anyone who has or will send in a donation, either for the program, bibles or pins, will have their name entered into a drawing for this picture. Extra chances may be purchased. The drawing will take place at the banquet following the January 26th ceremony.

Just to let you know, we have filed an application for a tax exempt status from the IRS. This means that your donations may be tax deductible. There is a saying, when God wants something done, He makes it happen. When we went to the IRS building to apply for the EIN, which is the first step in obtaining a tax exempt status, we left within twenty minutes with the number in hand. Others had assured me that we would be in line for hours, maybe even days, just to receive the number. God is truly good. To add to our joy, the worker behind the desk made a comment about our ministry being guided from above. Do you think the Holy Spirit was at work here?

To make a donation, which we sorely need, ask a question or bring up a subject that you would like discussed on this program, write to us at: Heart to Heart, P. O. Box 11431, Philadelphia, PA 19111. You may call us at (215) 743-5354.

The band "Turning Point" that performs the "O Lumen" for us, and will perform at our banquet, is a blues and rock band. The band members: David Covey, Greg Hazzard, and Brian Klock, will be performing at "Coffee Connection," Frankford Avenue and Elbridge Street, Philadelphia, on Saturday, November 30, 1996, from 9:00pm 'til midnight. Please keep these fine young men in your prayers.

God Willing, we'll be back with you again next week at this same time. Remember that God's power is in your hands when you pray the Rosary. May God bless you and protect you.

Father Michael, will you please grant our listeners a blessing?

May the blessing of Almighty God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit fill your hearts with peace, joy and happiness now and forever. In the Name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.